I recognised her at once, and became more interested.
"You see, sir, it's like this," she went on. "My Jack, he's had one o' his drinking fits on, and he's always mortal mischievous after one of 'em. He seems to 'a got a powerful sort o' a grudge agin' you, and there's that piece o' paper as you wrote out, and he put 'is name to. He says as 'ow he might get lagged for that if you showed it."
"Well, has he sent you to try and get it away again?" I asked.
"Not he! If he know'd as I'd come 'ere at all he'd half kill me."
"Well, what is it, then?" I asked.
"Well, it's just like this," she answered, slowly; "he's a-coming himself to try and get it back agin."
"Indeed! And when may I expect him?" I inquired, becoming suddenly interested.
"To-night."
I leaned back in my chair, and laughed dryly. The woman must be mad.
"'Tain't no laughing matter, master," she said, sullenly. "You'd 'a laughed t'other side o' your mouth, I can tell 'e, if I hadn' 'a chosen ter come and tell 'e. He ain't a-coming to ask you for it. He's a-coming to take it, and to pay yer back something as yer gave 'im at our cottage—him and a mate."